A Will of Fire
by ChromaZero
Summary: Ancient powers, ones that have remained lost and forgotten for millennia, have been found. The Prophecy: "By Fire, reborn. His birth marks the beginning of Death." The Land of Fire has found its Harbinger.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:**

Ancient powers, ones that have remained lost and forgotten for millennia, have been found. The Prophecy: "By Fire, reborn. His birth marks the beginning of Death." The Land of Fire has found its Harbinger.

 **XxXxX Chapter 1: Start XxXxX**

 ** _Manuscript of Ancient Legends & Myths_**

 _Page 14; Paragraph 2._

"… _It was upon those mighty shores that Izanagi and his wife, Izanami, first walked upon their infant creation. It was a young utopia, one with such potential, such beauty and such grace. The sun was high in the sky, the ocean deep and vast, and the land around them fertile for life._

 _Through the will of the Gods, this haven was to flourish._

 _Through the will of the Gods, this haven was to permeate the ages; and…_

 _Through the will of the Gods, this haven was to eventually cease existing - like everything before and thereafter."_

 **\- Present Day -**

 **Location: Hokage Tower, Hokage's Office**

"… Hence, I am afraid, that I won't be of much use to you, Hokage-sama. This is well beyond my level of expertise."

"I see."

"My suggestion - though I am sure you have reached that conclusion yourself – would be to recall Tsunade-sama. If anything, she is his only chance at making a full recovery."

"Full recovery?" It was a skeptical question, followed by a nod.

"Yes, with her level of skill and the sealing capacity provided by Jiraiya-sama, it should be possible. Whatever damage was done, was preceded by an alteration to the seal construct."

The Third Hokage sighed deeply and pinched his nose in a vain attempt at stalling the coming migraine. The retrieval of a runaway Sannin was by no means an easy feat, even if he were to send for Jiraiya to do the task. Undoubtedly he would have to invest heavily into her return, both in military as well as monetary resources. _Damn it…_

He fell back further into his chair and closed his eyes. After a few tender moments of silence and of deliberating on the best possible step to take, he steeled himself. His first and foremost priority was to ensure that all immediate measures could and would be taken. Tsunade may wait, for now.

He opened his eyes. This time, a cold and calculating gaze met the Chief Doctor; the gaze of one, who many had hailed as the God of Shinobi himself. He gulped, not daring to move a single muscle.

"He is in a stable state however, yes?" A curt nod. "Do we have some sort estimate as for how long?"

"W-…well, considering both the physical and physiological implications inflicted to the patie-..." The single spike in pressure caught him off-guard once again and halted his answer. "T-Two months at best, Hokage-sama." _To lose my posture like that, how embarrassing, you fool!_ The doctor thought to himself patronizingly.

"Very well then." Sarutobi straightened his back, still keeping the eye contact with the Chief Doctor, and continued. "A select few medics of your choosing will be committed to ensuring his state remains in a stable condition henceforth, and for as long as possible. Be warned, until Tsunade has been located and brought back to Konoha, a few weeks may very well pass. I'll task Jiraiya with finding her. Satoshi-san…" The Chief Doctor's focus was solely on his leader, meeting his gaze bravely.

"It should be obvious, but… Choose your people well," the Hokage said, narrowing his eyes and intensifying his gaze even more. "… Consequences will be on your head."

At this, Satoshi looked slightly taken aback. This was quite uncharacteristic of their leader, who otherwise was much like a grandfather to his people. To be so… well, frightening. It just went to show how deeply troubled the aged shinobi really was by the gravity of the situation. It was, after all, his grandson (in all but blood) lying in the ICU wing of the Konoha hospital, dying due to unknown causes. Well, what he was dying off was easy enough to discern. The reason why he was injured to the extend he was found in was another thing in and of itself…

Only a few seconds later – an eternity in the ninja world and himself - did he regain his posture somewhat and dared to speak anew.

"Lord Hokage, I promise you; I will do everything in my power to-..." A grizzled old hand had him halt. It was at that moment, by allowing himself once again to retreat back into the comfort of his chair, that Sarutobi looked his age. His eyes were watery, his shoulders sagged and a sad look exuded in his eyes.

In mere moments, a God had become an old and exhausted mortal.

Slowly lowering his hand, now in search of his trusted pipe and tobacco, he then turned away from Satoshi and started looking out onto the village he oh-so-loved. The room was once again cast into silence. The outside, however, was alive. The murmur of crowds could be faintly heard outside the windows, with the occasional innocent scream, _children playing ninja around the village_. For Sarutobi it was a moment of vivid clarity, one of delight at the presence and remembrance to events long gone-by.

By the time he addressed the Chief Doctor for the last time, his pipe was lit and his thoughts had been gathered.

"Few as they are, a perk of having participated in three wars is that the worst is always accounted for – a paranoia of sorts. It serves as a reminder, in my case, to keep myself grounded and aware that things are fleeting and momentary, and never a constant – except for death." His thoughts briefly wandered to the research of his sensei, the Second Hokage. _That endeavor must be left untouched and forgotten_. "Death is simple, life isn't. " He heaved a heavy sigh and turned around.

"Satoshi-san, it feels as though I have interrogated you; you certainly look the part. I am sorry." With that, the tense atmosphere was gone and back was the elderly and loving Hokage that Konohagakure no Sato was familiar with. Casting a small smile towards the Chief Doctor, which was reciprocated, he continued, quietly. "The moment a ninja steps outside of Konoha's walls, they undertake a potentially deadly-risk. Even within her walls, no one – not even I – is completely safe. As Hokage, I am forced to actively entertain the thought that each and every one of those ninjas will either not return or die within our own walls as a result of outside forces that I cannot control. This case was no different."

Satoshi, remaining silent, eyed his leader warily but being the acting Hokage for a reason, Sarutobi caught the look easily enough. "I reiterate; I was prepared should it occur. However, I did not think it likely to happen considering who it is we are talking about." At this, he allowed himself a melancholy smile. "Through good and bad, he really is the most surprising ninja Konoha has ever produced… and the most infuriating, too." They both chuckled lightly.

"Satoshi-san, I leave you with the task at hand. I entrust him to your care. Dismissed." The Chief Doctor left in silence. For a while, Sarutobi's gaze remained transfixed to the door, unwavering. Only after a while did he redirect his attention to the burning tobacco, calmly taking a long, drawn-out puff. Eyeing the pipe with a reverence as another would with a sake bottle, he was reminded of one of his three wayward students. _I pray Tsunade is willing to help…_

A grunt escaped his lips and his hand found its way back to pinch his nose. The migraine had hit.

… _I'm getting too old for this shit._

 **XxXxX Chapter 1: End XxXxX**

Hi there! Welcome to the first chapter of 'A Will of Fire'. This chapter is not particularly rich in detail to the plot overall, but it serves as a starting point. The next two chapter are already written up and just need some final adjustments. If there are any questions, feel free ask! I will do my best to answer. Feedback is also appreciated!

Until next time - Ja ne!

ChromaZero


	2. Chapter 2

**XxXxX Chapter 2: Start XxXxX**

 ** _Manuscript of Ancient Legends & Myths_**

 _"Curiously, mankind had settled into the lands early on and spread quickly. They mimicked the appearance of the Gods, that of a man and a woman. They surpassed all other living residents with intellect and grace unlike any other before._

 _The two High Gods, deciding mankind needed direction and time, gave birth to many children to both guide and govern the world, beside them. It was here, that tragedy struck._

 _A beautiful sixteen children they birthed, all unique in purpose but equal in eminence. It was the birth of the seventeenth child that bore ill tidings. Kagu-Tsuchi, his name was, and he was hailed as the God of Fire, graced with both the burning spirit and body of it. His coming left the High Goddess mortally wounded and the High God in desperation and grievance as she eventually passed._

 _Such emotions quickly morphed into rage and murderous intent, leading to the beheading of one fiery infant by the godly sword **Totsuka no Tsurugi** , the Sword of Length of Ten Fists. Izanagi further mutilated the body of his son, cutting him into eight pieces, all of which were cast into the mortal plane. There, they created eight volcanoes, each now host to one of eight parts. The High God, having executed his vengeance, turned back to the dying form of his beloved and…"_

 **\- Present Day -**

 **Location: Hokage Tower, Hokage's Office**

Jiraiya could only stare at his sensei, his mind momentarily frozen, unbelieving. At some point, his mouth decided to resume function. "What do you mean he's not healing?"

Having been told that his godson was half-dead in the hospital was one thing…

 _I mean, so what if he had a couple of third-degree burns here and there, a few dozen broken bones or so, some internal hemorrhaging every once in a while and one nasty case of a brain contusion? He could shrug it off after a day or two in bed._

… But being told that his seal was not doing anything about it? Oh boy.

His sensei leaned forward in his chair, picking up some papers and handing them to Jiraiya. They were patient examination reports. "As you might have guessed, his tenant is not being particularly helpful at the moment. Normally there would be a steady stream _youki_ **-** miniscule as it is – flowing through his body. Doctors suspect that he has become somewhat dependent on the foreign chakra. And now that it is completely gone, coupled with his already extensive injuries…" He dared not voice the possibility of death. "We do have him stabilized, though certainly not for very long." He took a puff of his lit tobacco pipe, exhaling slowly and fixing his student with a guarded look. "I was planning on having Tsunade brought back."

Furrowing his eyebrows in annoyance, Jiraiya – renown seal master and pervert extraordinaire – sighed and closed his eyes, thinking to himself. _Malfunctioning seals are – almost always – destructive. The fact that this seal has been doing nothing is worse than it would be, had it done_ _something._ _Especially since it is so horribly complex and intricate._

He started pacing around the room, mumbling to himself. The Third merely observed him calmly, finding it prudent to allow his student to think this through carefully. While quite a few individuals throughout the Elemental Nations were granted the title of Seal Master, none could compare to his student. The summoning contract with the toads alone had imparted the hermit with an extensive knowledge and understanding of the eccentric craft. Not to mention that Kushina herself was quite well versed in it, too. _Though it was her familial instinct that gave her a certain edge with seals, rather than the academic understanding of it_. At the very least, it helped in making the testing of the Sannin's more bizarre arrays a bit safer.

It was, after all, not entirely uncommon for a Seal Master to be physically handicapped somehow.

And so, indeed, Jiraiya was only second-to-one, that being Minato – the creator of the seal in question himself. Sadly, he had departed the realm of the living a long time ago. _Thirteen years it's been already. How time flies by… Then again, Naruto is a living reminder to how quickly the days come and go._ At that, his thoughts drifted to his quasi-grandson. _Naruto…_

"Sensei." The Third was torn from his thoughts. Looking up, a simple nod told the Sannin to continue. "While Tsunade may help him physically, it is the seal – as much as I hate to say this – which is more prudent to deal with." Jiraiya felt sickened having to forego Naruto's physical well-being like this. It was a classic case of personal morality clashing with professional rationality. On one hand, it was his godson dying in the hospital at this very moment, desperately requiring medical help. But on the other, as a seal master and shinobi, he realized that the integrity of the seal was much, much more important and – ultimately – the best bet on having Naruto leave the hospital in one piece. With a sigh, he continued to address his sensei.

"But before anything else, I need to see him. There is no point in hazarding a guess as to what's best for him if I can't see the seal for myself. These reports," he pointed at the papers, "they are, to me, none-telling. I can't judge the seal integrity by his physical state, only that something went horribly, horribly wrong and that the seal – for whatever reason – has lost one of its key functions." _And retained the rest, which doesn't make any goddamn sense!_

"Jiraiya-kun," the Hokage started, signaling his student to somewhat calm down. "While I am by no means near your level of expertise in the Art of Sealing, I am quite certain that seals, upon having lost a core function, would… collapse."

To that, his student nodded. "Yes. And that is precisely why I am so concerned. A seal, much like a building, has certain internal structures that are essential to its integrity. If one is lost, then the entire structure would, as you put it, collapse. And in quite a extravagant manner, too." Here, he paused for a moment. "And while fail-save mechanisms can be integrated, they always serve to bring forth some sort of effect outside of the actual seal matrix's function, which means that-"

"… It doesn't prevent the collapse itself, but may change the aftereffects of it." The Third finished for his student. Jiraiya nodded again, this time throwing his arms in the air exaggeratingly and started pacing once again.

"Exactly!" He cried out in frustration. "There is always an effect! The fact that Minato's seal has lost one of its core functions but hasn't collapsed in on itself, spells all kinds of uncertainties." He could feel a headache building up, a nasty one. "It goes against the fundamentals of seal artistry! Not even Minato, being the genius that he was, could go against those. We could be dealing with a chanced fluke -which I highly doubt; Minato being once again unprecedented in his genius – which I wouldn't mind but also highly doubt; or… an outside influence." Jiraiya stopped for a moment, going over all that had been said so far. He turned to his mentor, clearly infuriated.

"Just what the hell happened to that boy?"

The air in the Hokage's office was thick, saturated with chakra exuded by the vexed Sannin. Even to most Jounin it would have been quite uncomfortably to simply be present in the same room. Sarutobi wasn't fazed though, but aware nonetheless. He decided to gesture Jiraiya to sit down, who obliged reluctantly. Once again taking a long puff from his trusted pipe, he exhaled before continuing.

"We don't know."

A stern look aimed at his student had him halt from jumping out of his chair in exasperation. He quickly corrected himself. "With regards to the seal, we don't know. Hence why you are here, having this lengthy conversation with me."

Sarutobi opened one of his many drawers and took out a small scroll, which he passed to the Sannin. Unfurling it, the Sage listened to his Sensei elaborate. "Last week, Team Seven was sent on a routine scouting mission towards the southeastern parts of Hi no Kuni. Everything went as planned with no encounter, no delay, nothing. That is, until they approached the Tochi no Gishiki* passage." He turned to face the windows. "After crossing the Azuma no Yama*, an unknown enemy attacked them. They were eliminated easily enough and with Kakashi assurance, I believe that none had the opportunity to alter something on Naruto's seal." He paused briefly, taking another puff.

"They wore no headbands to affiliate them to any hidden village, but were definitely trained beyond normal mercenary levels. In any case, right before he died, one of the attackers – in a moment of sheer brilliance and clarity – had the idea to blow himself up…" his eyes hardened at the next part, staring straight at the hermit, "… using a Type S explosive tag."

His student stared back at him with wide eyes. "As in…?" The Third nodded gravely.

"Yes. As in the Type S explosive tags used in the First Shinobi War, one of which could level an entire mountain by itself. God knows how a he got hold of it. There is a reason why their production was banned by all nations after the First War. The results were absolutely catastrophic, inhumane." He sighed. "So Naruto, in a heroic attempt, tried to shield his teammates from the blast. He succeeded, but in doing so, got caught in it himself – hence the extent of his injuries." _And to think that he was not even near the center of the explosion..._ They sat in silence for a moment, until Sarutobi pressed on.

"The explosion… it upheaved a massive amount of dust and smoke, as well as enough residual heat to delay their search for Naruto by several hours. At first I thought it might have been the explosion itself that meddled with his seal somehow," he looked at Jiraiya, "but judging by your expression, we have both come to discard that possibility." He then pointed at the scroll in the Toad Sage's hands. "Detailed in the scroll you are holding is the official report of this mission, where shortly after Kakashi deemed the search safe enough, Team Seven managed to locate Naruto and successfully return him back to Konoha…"

At this, Sarutobi activated the silencing seals in his office. Jiraiya merely gave him a raised eyebrow. Whatever was about to be said, clearly needed to be under lock and key.

"Unofficially, however, it seems as though Team Seven also managed to stumble upon the ancient and long-lost Himoto Temple *****."

 **XxXxX Chapter 2: End XxXxX**

Hey guys!

Here's the second chapter! I had it sitting around for a while, changing small things every now and then until I was somewhat happy. I feel as though certain parts are a bit awkwardly worded/phrased at times, especially since the chapter is quite loaded with information. But at this point I'm just posting it regardless. If you feel the same, or have any other comments, please feel free to leave a review. Constructive criticism, please. :)

Now, to clarify a few things. Below is a short list of rough translations to the landmarks used in this chapter. I made them up, but they fit to the geography used in the actual Manga/Anime. If you're like me and prefer a visual context, I strongly encourage you to have a look at the Narutoverse map and try to place the locations I've used. Note that Hi no O hasn't been mentioned yet, but for the sake of clarification I included it in the short list.

If there are any questions still, feel free to ask.

Until next time - Ja ne!

ChromaZero

* * *

Azuma no Yama – "Mountains of East"; a linear range of mountains on the east of Hi no Kuni mainland, starting in the northeast and moving all the way down to the southwest along the coast.

Tochi no Gishiki – "Land's Rite" or "Ritual of Land"; the only safe way leading across the Azuma no Yama onto Hi no O.

Hi no O - "Tail of Fire"; the most eastern part of Hi no Kuni, which looks like the tail of a fish (to me at least...).

Himoto - 火元 "The Origin of Fire". Will be elaborated upon. Soon. ;)


End file.
